Textbook Politics

Author: (USA) Smith, edited by Hou Dingkai
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2005-08-01
Features: The textbook is the central element of school education. It is a crucial channel for students to acquire knowledge. On the surface, the knowledge transmitted by textbooks appears neutral, but in reality, they are merely transmitters of "formal knowledge." This knowledge is the result of the interaction of various political, economic, and cultural factors. The factors involved in textbook selection reflect a microcosm of the practical forces of various policy-making schools, governments, and other social departments. The articles in The Politics of Textbooks analyze the various factors influencing the publishing, distribution, and adoption of school textbooks at each stage. These articles also emphasize the dual characteristics of textbooks. On one hand, textbooks can be seen as a moral system used by dominant social groups to establish political and cultural order. On the other hand, textbooks can also be seen as a means for the general public to expose the underlying conflicts of interest behind school knowledge and selective traditions. Although the perspectives of these articles differ, all the authors focus on the issue of schools as a battleground for power struggles. Some of the authors are internationally renowned experts in curriculum and educational policy issues. Some articles analyze the cultural, ideological, political, and economic factors involved in textbook publishing; some discuss how progressive writers, educators, and working people have transformed textbooks; and others examine how students select, interpret, and resist the "legitimate knowledge" in the process of using textbooks. By synthesizing the views of these articles, we can see that cultural political economy highlights the ongoing struggles surrounding textbooks, and the core issue of textbook politics is: how to win the hearts and minds of students!